Chicago protest draws thousands in nationwide push against Trump, Musk policies

CHICAGO - Thousands of people took part in"Hands Off!"protests against President Donald Trump and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk on Saturday in Chicago, the surrounding suburbs and cities around the country.

Organizers said they expected tens of thousands of people to join more than 600 events planned in every state and Washington, D.C.

‘Enough is enough’

What we know:

The demonstrations were meant to demand that Trump and Musk "take their hands off the programs that the middle class and working families rely on."

In Chicago, multiple progressive organizations held a rally and march that began at Daley Plaza and wound through downtown streets. Organizers estimated that about 30,000 people gathered near the plaza.

Chicago police were out in great numbers, patrolling the crowd. 

Other protests were scheduled in suburban cities including Evanston, Highland Park, Gurnee, Palatine, Algonquin, Arlington Heights, Elgin, Schaumburg, Geneva, Lisle, Batavia, Joliet, Kankakee and Ottawa.

What they're saying:

Event organizers included the Chicago Federation of Labor, Equality Illinois, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Indivisible Chicago, Personal PAC, Sierra Club Illinois and others.

"Enough is enough. It is time for all of us in Chicago to rise up and fight back for what we believe in," organizers said in a statement.

"I think a lot of us are sitting back and it's the wrong time to sit back," said protester Robert Walker, of Chicago.

Key issues highlighted by organizers included protecting Medicaid, Social Security, immigrant and LGBTQ rights, the judiciary and democracy.